DS PhD Steps to Candidacy

While first year students are expected to meet with their interim faculty advisors on a regular basis, they are strongly encouraged to meet with other faculty members, looking for common interests. By the beginning of the third semester students are required to identify a permanent faculty advisor. While this will often be the same faculty member as the student’s interim faculty advisor, all DS (PhD) faculty are eligible. Students may have up to two advisors as co-chairs for their graduate committee. Students may petition to change their advisor given a change in research focus or other unforeseen circumstances.

Doctoral students are officially advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree after completing the following

• required coursework
• submitting a satisfactory Qualifying Research Project
• passing the preliminary examination.

During the first two years, students should also begin to formulate a preliminary dissertation topic. The preliminary examination is intended to demonstrate the students’ knowledge in both major and minor areas as well as their broad knowledge in the field of design. Students should make every effort to advance to candidacy within three years from their initial enrollment date. Steps to candidacy are outlined below.

Step one: Dissertation topic area

A student must develop a preliminary dissertation topic in consultation with the student’s major faculty advisor prior to the preliminary examination. The dissertation topic should be a concise, one page description of research questions, methods, and possible outcomes. The topic at this stage is preliminary in nature but will serve as a basis for formulating the preliminary examination fields.

Step two: Form Preliminary Exam Committee

In close consultation with their major faculty advisor, doctoral students should form a three to four-person preliminary exam committee.

Step three: Scheduling Preliminary Examinations

Doctoral students must complete the Request for Preliminary Warrant form through the Graduate Program Coordinator to submit it to the Graduate School. The form must be submitted at least three weeks before the scheduled exam date. The Preliminary Exam must be completed by the student prior to the term in which they wish to establish dissertator status. The warrant can be held for a period no longer than the semester in which it was issued. This allows time for a student to make up deficiencies prior to submission of the final warrant.

Step four: Taking the Preliminary Examination

Preliminary Examination questions are solicited from committee members by the student’s major faculty advisor, who prepares them for the student. The student chooses between two exam formats:

• Take-home exam: the student receives questions in advance. The student writes the examination and submits responses within five days. In this case, the expectation is that references and formal citations are included.
• In-class exam: the student receives questions shortly in advance. The student sits for the exam in an assigned room on the UW campus. Response time is limited to 2 1/2 days. A computer may be requested, but the student may not bring his or her own. In this case, there is no expectation of formal citations.

Students may ask their advisors to show them sample questions from previous preliminary exams. While examples are useful, students should keep in mind that exam questions are always tailored for each individual student and their area of interest.

Step five: Evaluation of the Preliminary Examination

The completed exam is distributed to the committee members by the major faculty advisor. The committee responds with an evaluation two to three weeks following the receipt of the exam. The committee generally meets informally with the student to discuss the exam, or at the very least, committee members provide feedback to the student. The criteria for passing the preliminary exam are not monitored by the Graduate School and are at the discretion of the DS faculty. The policy recommended by the DS Graduate Committee is:

• Each member casts one vote. Each individual faculty member is primarily responsible for the evaluation of the question she/he submitted, although they read all questions and make the evaluation on the general competence of the responses. The levels of evaluation are: Pass, Pass with additional work required, and Fail.
• A student cannot pass the exam if more than one failing grade is given. If the exam is failed, the student may request to retake the failed portion(s) of the exam only once; the second exam must be taken within one semester following the first exam. The committee for a repeated exam must be composed of the same faculty members. If additional work is required it will be arranged with the major faculty advisor in consultation with committee members and should be completed within one semester following the exam.